Exposure apparatus and substrate handling system therefor
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsKenichiro Taji, Noriaki Murata
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A substrate handling method includes a first step for holding a substrate with a hand mechanism, the hand mechanism being provided for positioning the substrate, a second step for discharging a gas out of a gas pad provided on a stage, such that the substrate held by the hand mechanism is floated relative to the gas pad, wherein the hand mechanism is provided separately from the stage, a third step for moving the hand mechanism such that the substrate is positioned finely with respect to the plane of the substrate and a fourth step for stopping gas discharging from the gas pad.
Claims19
A substrate handling method, comprising:
- holding a substrate with a hand mechanism, the hand mechanism being provided for positioning the substrate;
- discharging a gas out of a gas pad provided on a stage, such that the substrate held by the hand mechanism is floated upon the gas pad, wherein the hand mechanism is provided separately from the stage;
- detecting, with a detecting mechanism, the state of alignment of the substrate upon the stage, wherein the substrate is floated by the gas pad, within the range of a depth of focus of the detecting mechanism;
- moving the hand mechanism such that the floated substrate is positioned finely relative to the stage;
- and
- stopping gas discharging from the gas pad.
A substrate handling system, comprising:
- a gas pad provided on a stage for holding a substrate with suction of a gas, said gas pad being able to provide gas suction and gas discharging, interchangeably;
- a detecting mechanism for detecting the state of alignment of the substrate upon the stage, wherein the substrate is floated by the gas pad, within the range of a depth of focus of said detecting mechanism;
- and
- a hand mechanism, provided separately from the stage, for positioning the substrate floated upon said gas pad.
A scan type exposure apparatus for scanningly transferring a pattern of a reticle onto a wafer, said apparatus comprising:
- a projection system for projecting the reticle pattern onto the wafer;
- a reticle stage for holding the reticle and for scanningly moving the reticle relative to said projection optical system, said reticle stage having a gas pad formed thereon for holding the reticle with suction of a gas, said gas pad being able to provide gas suction and gas discharging;
- a detecting mechanism for detecting the state of alignment of the substrate upon the stage, wherein the substrate is floated by the gas pad, within the range of a depth of focus of said detecting mechanism;
- a wafer stage for holding the wafer and for scanningly moving the wafer relative to said projection optical system;
- and
- an alignment system having a hand mechanism, for finely positioning, relative to said reticle stage, the reticle floating upon said gas pad as the gas pad discharges the gas.
A scan type exposure apparatus for scanningly transferring a pattern of a reticle onto a wafer, said apparatus comprising:
- a projection system for projecting the reticle pattern onto the wafer;
- a reticle stage for holding the reticle and for scanningly moving the reticle relative to said projection optical system;
- a wafer stage for holding the wafer and for scanningly moving the wafer relative to said projection optical system;
- a gas pad provided on said reticle stage for holding the reticle with suction of a gas;
- a detecting mechanism for detecting the state of alignment of the substrate upon the stage, wherein the substrate is floated by the gas pad, within the range of a depth of focus of said detecting mechanism;
- and
- an alignment system having a hand mechanism, for finely positioning the reticle on said reticle stage, said hand mechanism being disposed separately from said reticle stage, at a first position remote from a second position over the projection optical system where the scan exposure is performed,
- wherein said reticle stage is movable between the first and second positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.